1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making mesoporous materials.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) classifies porosity on the basis of pore diameter. Mesoporous materials are defined by IUPAC as those materials in which the porosity is in the range of 2 nanometers (nm) to 50 nanometers. It is well known that the mesoporous materials have many virtues, such as small particles, high-surface area, and high porosity (in terms of volume percent). The control of particle microstructure allows control of the physical, chemical, and electronic properties. Such control is an important consideration in developing new functional materials, in the areas of, for example, catalysis, electronics, optics, photovoltaics, and energy storage. Therefore, the mesoporous materials, generally in the form of powders, have received enormous attention by various researchers since their announcement by Kresge et al. (Nature, 1992, 359, P 710-712).
Conventional methods for making the mesoporous materials include template methods, sol-gel methods, and hydrothermal methods. However, these conventional methods generally have complicated procedures associated therewith and low manageability and often require highly-toxic, special host materials.
However, there is ongoing demand for a general, simple, low toxicity, mass-production-friendly method for making mesoporous material.